The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for cleaning milking stalls on a platform of a rotary parlour, wherein the rotary parlour comprises a robotic manipulation device configured to perform a primary task in the milking stalls, and wherein the apparatus comprises a hose member having an end portion with an outlet opening and liquid regulating means by which it is possible to regulate the liquid supply to the end portion of the hose member.
In a conventional rotary parlour, the cows walk on to an annular rotating platform and enter a milking stall. In a partly automatic rotary parlour, a milking robot located on the outside or on the inside of the annular platform attaches teat cups to the teats of the cows. The platform usually rotates with a constant low speed. The milking processes of the cows are finished and the cows leave the milking stalls before they have rotated one full revolution on the platform. The continuous flow of cows causes rotary parlours to have a high milking capacity. In order to provide a fully automatic rotary parlour, it has been suggested to use a robot arm for preparation of teats before the milking process, a robot arm for teat cup attachment and a robot arm for treatment of teats after the milking process.
The milking stalls on the rotary platform are to be cleaned with regular intervals. The cleaning processes of the milking stalls are usually manually performed by an operator spraying water from a water hose on the floor surface in the milking stalls and on other surfaces in the milking stall which are dirty and have to be cleaned. The cleaning of the milking stalls on the platform requires a lot of work for an operator.
It is also known to have a hose arranged in a fixed position in the vicinity of the platform which continuously sprays water on the floor surfaces in the milking stalls when the milking stalls rotate through the water jet. Such a cleaning process of the milking stalls is not especially effective and it also consumes a lot of water.
EP 2 060 169 shows an apparatus for cleaning teat cups arranged in teat cup magazines in milking stalls on a rotary platform. A robotic manipulation device is used for moving the teat cups from the respective teat cup magazines to a cleaning implement when it is time to clean the teat cups.